Systems and methods for displaying subjects of an audio portion of content and searching for content related to a subject of the audio portion

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are described herein for displaying subjects of a portion of content and searching for content related to a particular subject in the content. Media data of content is analyzed during playback, and a number of audio signatures are identified. Each audio signature is associated, based on audio characteristics, with a particular subject within the content. The audio signature is stored, along with a timestamp corresponding to a playback position at which the audio signature begins, in association with an identifier of the particular subject. Upon receiving a command, icons representing each of a number of audio signatures at or near the current playback position are displayed. Upon receiving user selection of an icon corresponding to a particular signature, a portion of the content corresponding to the audio signature is played back or a search is performed for content related to the signature represented by the selected icon.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/553,410, filed Aug. 28, 2019, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to content delivery and consumption systems and, more particularly, repeating portions of content associated with, and searching for content related to, a particular subject in the content.

SUMMARY

In conventional media consumption systems, when a user wishes to repeat a portion of content (e.g., because the user did not understand the dialogue, or the user missed an action sequence), the user must rewind the content to a playback position prior to the portion they wish to repeat. However, digital rewind functions are imprecise and do not allow the user to easily control the playback position to which the content returns. This results in the user either not rewinding far enough and missing some of the content the user wishes to repeat, or rewinding farther than the playback position at which the desired portion begins and having to unnecessarily re-watch additional portions of the content.

In some cases, a user may, upon seeing or hearing a particular subject (i.e., character, actor, or the like) in the content, wish to find content related to that particular subject. In conventional media consumption systems, the user must recall the name of the particular subject and enter the name into a search function. However, it can be difficult for the user to recall the exact name. It can also be difficult or require several commands for the user to access the search function while consuming content. This results in the user either not remembering the name of the subject and entering an incorrect name in the search function, which prevents the user from finding relevant content, or not performing the search at all despite being interested in finding content related to the subject.

Systems and methods are described herein for repeating portions of content associated with a particular subject (e.g., character or object) in the content, and for searching for content related to subjects of a portion of the content. While the content is playing on a device, content data is analyzed, and a number of signatures are identified. In some embodiments, audio data is analyzed to identify audio signatures (voice or song recognition is an example where audio signatures can be used as identifiers), and each audio signature is associated, based on audio and/or video characteristics, with a particular subject within the content. In some embodiments, video data is analyzed to identify action signatures based on the motion of subjects displayed in the content. An identifier of each action signature is stored, along with a timestamp corresponding to a playback position at which the action signature begins. Subjects may also be identified during playback, and subject signatures identified or assigned to each subject. An identifier of each subject signature is stored, along with a timestamp corresponding to a playback position at which the subject is displayed in the content. A subject signature may be assigned to an audio signature or action signature having the same timestamp.

Upon receiving a command, playback of the content is paused and icons representing each of a number of signatures are displayed. The number of icons could be determined by the number of signatures at or near the current playback position or all icons representing the entirety of signatures identified up to the playback position could be displayed. Upon receiving user selection of an icon corresponding to a particular signature, a portion of the content corresponding to the signature is played back.

In some embodiments, upon receiving user selection of an icon corresponding to a particular subject, an identifier of the subject is retrieved. The timestamp of a signature associated with the identifier is then retrieved, and a portion of the content is played back beginning at the timestamp.

The icons may include an image of the subject corresponding to their respective signature. Video data corresponding to the signature is processed, and a subject of the signature is identified. A portion of a frame of video data in which the subject is displayed is captured as an image for display in the icon.

To identify an audio signature, audio data is analyzed beginning at a first playback position. Audio characteristics unique to a first subject are identified. As analysis continues, audio characteristics of the current audio data are compared with those of previous data. If a significant change in audio characteristics is detected, the portion of audio data from the first playback position to the current playback position is identified as an audio signature. Video data may also be analyzed to determine whether a particular subject responsible for the audio is displayed in the content.

More than one audio signature may have an ending playback position within a threshold amount of time of the current playback position. To determine which portion of audio data to repeat, it is determined whether any of the audio signatures overlap one another. If not, the portion of audio data corresponding to the most recent audio signature is played back. If an audio signature does overlap with another, audio data corresponding to each audio signature is isolated. Icons corresponding to the subject of each signature are then displayed, and the portion corresponding to a selected icon is played back.

To identify an action signature, video data is analyzed beginning at a first playback position. Motion displayed in the content is tracked, and a subject of motion is identified. For example, a face may be detected in a frame of the video content. As analysis continues, the level of motion (e.g., the speed at which the subject moves) is detected. When the level of motion is detected as above a threshold level, the portion of content from the first playback position to the current playback position is identified as an action signature.

If a user selects a particular icon more than once, the system identifies a number of signatures corresponding to the subject represented by the selected icon. The number of selections is counted, and the system retrieves the signature that is the number of selections prior to the current playback position and repeats the portion of content identifier by the retrieved signature. For example, if the user double taps an icon the system will playback the second most recent content associated with that subject (e.g., what the subject said prior to the last comment).

If an action signature has a length below a minimum threshold, the portion of content corresponding to the signature is repeated in slow motion. If the action signature has a length between the minimum threshold and a maximum threshold, the portion of content is played in a continuous loop until another input command is received, for a predetermined number of loops, or for a predetermined period of time.

Selection of an icon can also trigger performance of a search for content related to the signature represented by the selected icon. Selection of an icon may comprise a swipe gesture on a touchscreen interface. Based on the direction of the swipe gesture, different types of searches may be performed. In response to a swipe in a first direction, a search is performed for content containing the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon. In response to the swipe gesture being in a second direction, a search is performed for content having a similar signature to the signature represented by the selected icon. In response to the swipe gesture being in a third direction, the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon is identified, and a search is performed for content published by the identified subject.

Selection of an icon may alternatively comprise a tap on a touchscreen interface. Based on the duration or intensity of the tap, different types of searches may be performed. If the duration of the tap is below a threshold duration, or if the intensity of the tap is below a threshold intensity, a search is performed for content containing the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon. If the duration of the tap meets or exceeds the threshold duration, or if the intensity of the tap meets or exceeds the threshold intensity, the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon is identified and a search is performed for content published by the identified subject.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a generalized embodiment of a user interface displayed in response to a command to repeat audio in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a generalized embodiment of audio data to be processed in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a generalized embodiment of video data to be processed in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows an example of a table generated by processing audio and video data together and assignment of subject signatures to audio signatures in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 show another generalized embodiment of video data to be processed in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 shows an example of a table generated by processing video data and assignment of subject signatures to action signatures in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram representing control circuitry and data flow within a media device in response to a command to repeat audio in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart representing a process for repeating a portion of content in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart representing a process for assigning a subject signature to an audio signature or action signature is accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart representing a process for playing back a portion of content in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart representing a process for capturing an image of a subject from video data in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart representing a process for identifying audio signatures in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart representing a process for assigning audio signatures to a subject in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart representing a process for playing back one of a plurality of portions of audio in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart representing a process for identifying action signatures in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart representing a process for identifying a subject displayed in content in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 17 is a flowchart representing a process for detecting a threshold level of motion in accordance with some embodiment of the disclosure

FIG. 18 is a flowchart representing a process for repeating a portion of content in slow motion or in a loop in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 19 shows an exemplary display and selection of an icon, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 20 shows an exemplary display and selection of an icon using a swipe gesture, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 21 shows an exemplary display and selection of multiple icons using a swipe gesture, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 22 is a flowchart representing a process for performing a search for content related to the subject of a signature, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 23 is a flowchart representing a process for determining a type of search to perform based on a swipe gesture, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 24 is a flowchart representing a process for performing a search for content related to subjects of more than one signature, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 25 is a flowchart representing a process for determining a type of search to perform based on the duration of a tap input, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure; and

FIG. 26 is a flowchart representing a process for determining a type of search to perform based on the intensity of a tap input, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 depicts a user interface displayed over content 102 in response to a command to pause or repeat a portion of media content. While content 102 is being consumed on media device 100, the media device 100 processes audio and/or video data of the content 102 to identify a number of signatures (e.g., audio signatures or action signatures, as discussed below). A user may tap on a touchscreen interface of the media device 100 to pause the content 102. A user may alternatively or additionally request that a portion of content be repeated, using, for example, a voice command or user input device. Upon receiving the command, the media device 100 pauses playback of the content 102 and displays a series of icons 112 a-112 d representing subjects 104, 106, 108, and 110 of signatures at or near the paused playback position. The user may select one of the icons 112 a-112 d and, in response, the media device 100 repeats the portion of content corresponding to a recent signature associated with the subject represented by the selected icon. For example, icon 112 a represents subject 104. In response to selection of icon 112 a, media device 100 repeats a portion of dialogue identified by media device 100 as having been spoken by the character identified as subject 104.

FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment of audio processing to identify audio signatures in content 102. Media device 100 processes audio data 200 during playback of content 102. Media device 100 identifies audio characteristics of audio data 202 and determines that audio data 202 is spoken or otherwise generated by a single subject in content 102. As playback of content 102 continues, media device 100 processes audio data 204 and determines, based on a comparison of audio characteristics of audio data 204 with those of audio data 202, that audio data 204 is spoken or otherwise generated by a different subject than that of audio data 202. The media device 100 may generate a database or other data structure in which to store each audio signature along with an identifier of the associated subject. Media device 100 continues processing audio data 206 and 208 in a similar manner. In some cases, multiple subjects may generate audio at the same time. For example, audio data 210 may include audio generated by two separate subjects simultaneously. Media device 100 processes the audio data and isolates audio data from each subject using audio characteristics specific to each subject, such as base frequency, modulation, amplitude, or other audio characteristics.

FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of video processing to identify subject signatures in content 102. Media device 100 processes video data 300 in conjunction to identify subjects in video of content 102. Media device 100 processes video data 300 to identify discrete objects and characters/actors in content 102. Media device 100 determines at least one object or character/actor present in at least one frame of video. Media device 100 may use facial recognition, object recognition, edge detection, or any other suitable video processing methods to identify objects and characters/actors. Media device 100 determines that Character 1 is displayed in video data portions 302, 306, and 312 and Character 2 is displayed in video data portions 304, 308, and 310. Media device 100 may store parameters corresponding to each identified character as a subject signature.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a table generated by processing audio and video data together and assignment of subject signatures to audio signatures in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Media device 100 determines at what timestamps a source signature and audio signature overlap and assigns the respective subject to the overlapping audio signature. Between T₀ and T₁, Character 1 is displayed in content 102. From T₁ through T₄, Character 1 continues to be displayed while audio signature S₁ is present in the content 102. Media device 100 assigns S₁ to Character 1. From T₄ to T₅ Character 1 continues to be displayed, but no audio signature is present. From T₅ to T₆ Character 2 is displayed in content 102 while audio signature S₂ is present. Media device 100 assigns S₂ to Character 2. Beginning at T₇, both Character 1 and Character 2 are displayed in content 102. Audio signature S₃ begins at T₅. Media device 100 determines that the audio characteristics of audio signature S₃ do not match the audio characteristics of any previously identified audio signature (i.e., S₁ or S₂) and temporarily assigns audio signature S₃ to “UNKNOWN-1.” Similarly, at T₁₃ audio signature S₄ is present in content 102 and media device 100 determines that the audio characteristics of audio signature S₄ do not match the audio characteristics of any previously identified audio signature (i.e., S₁, S₂, or S₃). Additionally, no character is displayed at T₁₃. Therefore, media device 100 temporarily assigns audio signature S₄ to “UNKNOWN-2.” At Tis, an audio signature begins while Character 1 is displayed in the content 102. The audio characteristics of the audio signature match those of audio signature S₁ which was previously identified and assigned to Character 1. Media device 100 therefore identifies the audio signature as S₁ and assigns it to Character 1. At Tis, Character 2 is also displayed in the content 102 and at T₂₁, while audio signature S₁ is still present in the content 102, another audio signature begins, having audio characteristics matching those of audio signature S₂. Because S₂ was previously identified as assigned to Character 2, and because S₁ is still present and is already assigned to Character 1, media device 100 assigns S₂ to Character 2. Using a similar analysis at T₂₃, media device 100 identifies the audio signature as S₁ based on its audio characteristics and assigns it to Character 1.

FIG. 5 depicts an embodiment of video processing to identify action signatures in content 102. Media device 100 processes video data 300 to determine if the motion of any subject displayed in the video exceeds a threshold level of motion 502. Media device 100 first identifies motion 504 of subjects in video of content 102. Media device 100 identifies discrete objects and characters/actors in content 102. Media device 100 determines at least one object or character/actor present in at least one frame of video. Media device 100 may use facial recognition, object recognition, edge detection, or any other suitable video processing methods to identify objects and characters/actors. Media device 100 compares the position of each subject in a subsequent frame of video to determine if any subject moved more than a threshold distance between the two frames of video. For example, media device 100 determines that motion of Character 1 exceeds threshold 502 from T₃ through T₅ and identifies motion 506 as action signature A₁. Similarly, media device 100 determines the motion of Character 2 exceeds the threshold 502 from T₁₉ through T₂₃ and identifies motion 508 as action signature A₂.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a table generated by processing video data and assignment of subject signatures to action signatures in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Similar to the analyses described above in connections with FIG. 4 , media device 100 assigns action signatures to subject signatures based on which subject signatures coincide with which action signatures. Thus, action signature A₁ is assigned to Character 1 at T₃ due to Character 1 being present at the start of A₁, and action signature A₂ is assigned to Character 2 at T₁₉ due to Character 2 being present at the start of A₂.

FIG. 7 is an illustrative block diagram representing circuitry and data flow within media device 100 in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Media device 100 may be any device for accessing the content described above, such as a television, a Smart TV, a set-top box, an integrated receiver decoder (IRD) for handling satellite television, a digital storage device, a digital media receiver (DMR), a digital media adapter (DMA), a streaming media device, a DVD player, a DVD recorder, a connected DVD, a local media server, a BLU-RAY player, a BLU-RAY recorder, a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a WebTV box, a personal computer television (PC/TV), a PC media server, a PC media center, a handheld computer, a stationary telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone, a portable video player, a portable music player, a portable gaming machine, a smartphone, or any other television equipment, computing equipment, or wireless device, and/or combination of the same. Media device 100 comprises input circuitry 704. Input circuitry 704 may include a microphone and voice processing circuitry for receiving voice commands, infrared receiving circuitry for receiving commands from a remote control device, a touchscreen interface for receiving user interaction with graphical user interface elements, or any combination thereof or any other suitable input circuitry for receiving any other suitable user input. Media device 100 also comprises control circuitry 700 and storage 702. Control circuitry 700 may be based on any suitable processing circuitry and comprises control circuits and memory circuits, which may be disposed on a single integrated circuit or may be discrete components. As referred to herein, processing circuitry should be understood to mean circuitry based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, programmable logic devices, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc., and may include a multi-core processor (e.g., dual-core, quad-core, hexa-core, or any suitable number of cores). In some embodiments, processing circuitry may be distributed across multiple separate processors or processing units, for example, multiple of the same type of processing units (e.g., two Intel Core i7 processors) or multiple different processors (e.g., an Intel Core i5 processor and an Intel Core i7 processor). Some control circuits may be implemented in hardware, firmware, or software. Input circuitry 704 may be integrated with control circuitry 700. Storage 702 may be any device for storing electronic data, such as random-access memory, read-only memory, hard drives, optical drives, digital video disc (DVD) recorders, compact disc (CD) recorders, BLU-RAY disc (BD) recorders, BLU-RAY 3D disc recorders, digital video recorders (DVRs, sometimes called personal video recorders, or PVRs), solid state devices, quantum storage devices, gaming consoles, gaming media, or any other suitable fixed or removable storage devices, and/or any combination of the same.

Control circuitry 700 comprises media playback circuitry 706. Media playback circuitry 706 receives content 102 from a content provider. The content provider may be an OTT/Internet service (e.g., Netflix), a traditional television network (e.g., NBC), a traditional media company (e.g., NBCUniversal), or any other suitable content provider. Content 102 may be received via a physical RF channel over a cable television connection or terrestrial broadcast, or may be received over an Internet connection from an over-the-top (OTT) service using a wired connection (e.g., Ethernet) or wireless connection (e.g., 802.11a/b/g/n (WiFi), WiMax, GSM, UTMS, CDMA, TDMA, 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, or any other suitable type of wireless data transmission). Media playback circuitry processes content 102 and transmits 708 audio and video data of content 102 to audio processing circuitry 710 and video processing circuitry 712, respectively. Media playback circuitry simultaneously transmits 714 the audio and video data of content 102 to audio output circuitry 716 and video output circuitry 718, respectively.

Audio processing circuitry 710 analyzes audio characteristics of audio data of content 102 to identify unique audio signatures using any suitable audio analysis technique. For example, audio processing circuitry 710 may use frequency analysis to determine a base frequency and unique harmonic pattern of a particular voice, phoneme analysis to determine an accent of a particular voice, etc. Audio processing circuitry 710 may also identify non-vocal audio such as music, sound effects, and the like using similar frequency analysis techniques or any other suitable method of audio analysis. Once a particular set of audio characteristics have been identified, audio processing circuitry 710 stores the audio characteristics in, for example, storage 702, along with a timestamp corresponding to a playback position of content 102 at which the audio characteristics were first identified. Audio processing circuitry 710 continues to analyze audio data of content 102 and compares the determined audio characteristics of the audio data to the stored audio characteristics. Upon detecting a significant difference in audio characteristics, audio processing circuitry 710 determines that the source of the audio has changed. For example, the base frequency of a voice may change by more than 20 Hz. Audio processing circuitry generates an audio signature from the stored audio characteristics and timestamp and stores 720 the audio signature in a database in storage 702. Audio processing circuitry 710 then stores the new audio characteristics and a new timestamp in storage 702 and continues analyzing the audio data as described above.

In some embodiments, media device 100 processes video data of content 102 in conjunction with the audio data to identify a subject corresponding to an audio signature. In some embodiments, media device 100 processes video data to identify action signatures based on motion of subjects in content 102. Video processing circuitry 712 analyzes video data of content 102 using edge detection, facial recognition, or any other suitable video or image processing technique to identify subjects in a video frame. Video processing circuitry 712 may capture and process a single frame of video data or may process more than one frame of video data. For example, video processing circuitry 712 may process a single frame to identify a person depicted in the frame, or a set of consecutive frames to determine whether a person depicted in the set of frames is the subject of an audio signature by analyzing the movement of the mouth of the person. If a depicted subject is identified, the audio signature is stored 720 in storage 702 in association with an identifier 722 of the source. In some embodiments, video processing circuitry 712 also captures as an image a portion of at least one frame in which the subject is depicted and stores the image in association with the audio signature, or in association with an identifier of the subject. Alternatively, video processing circuitry 712 stores an identifier of a particular frame in which the subject is depicted and a set of coordinates identifying a portion of the frame that depicts the subject.

During playback of content 102, input circuitry 704 receives command 724 from a user input device to repeat a portion of content. Upon receiving command 724, input circuitry 704 transmits an instruction 726 to media playback circuitry 706 to pause playback of the content 102 and an instruction 728 to storage 702 to retrieve audio signatures and/or action signatures within a threshold amount of time prior to the time at which the command 724 was received. For example, input circuitry 704 may instruct storage 702 to retrieve signatures with timestamps within the last thirty seconds prior to the timestamp at which the content 102 is paused. The retrieved signatures are transmitted 730 from storage 702 to control circuitry 700. Control circuitry 700, using video output circuitry 718, generates for display a number of icons, each icon representing a subject of one of the retrieved audio signatures. The icons are then displayed 732 as an overlay over the paused content 102.

Upon receiving selection 734 of an icon, input circuitry 704 transmits an instruction 736 to media playback circuitry 706 to replay the portion of content 102 corresponding to the signature represented by the selected icon. Media playback circuitry 706 retrieves the media data and transmits 738 the retrieved media data to audio output circuitry 716 and video output circuitry 718 for output 740, 732.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 800 for resolving a query to repeat a portion of content in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 800 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 800 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 802, control circuitry 700, using audio processing circuitry 710 and/or video processing circuitry 712, identifies, during playback of content 102, a plurality of signatures. This may be accomplished using methods described below in connection with FIG. 12 . Audio processing circuitry 710 and/or video processing circuitry 712 may identify one signature in content 102 at a time or may identify multiple signatures simultaneously.

At 804, control circuitry 700 initializes a counter variable N with a value of 0. For each identified signature, control circuitry 700 determines, at 806, whether a previously identified subject is the subject of the current signature. For example, control circuitry 700 compares the audio characteristics of previous audio signatures to those of the current audio signature. As another example, control circuitry 700 compares objects and characters displayed in a frame of video to parameters of previously identified subjects. If the audio characteristics of the current audio signature do not match those of any of the previous audio signatures, or if no object or character currently displayed matches a previously identified subject, then, at 808, control circuitry 700 assigns a new identifier as the subject of the signature. If the audio characteristics of the current audio signature do match those of a previous audio signature or if an object or character currently displayed matches a previously identified subject, then control circuitry 700 determines that the subject of the current signature is the same as the subject of the previous signature having matching audio characteristics or image parameters and, at 810, assigns the subject identifier of the previous signature to the current signature. Control circuitry 700 then stores the identifier of the current signature and a start time corresponding to the current signature in storage 702. At 812, control circuitry 700 determines whether all identified signatures have yet been processed by comparing the value of N to the number of signatures identified. If there are more signatures to process then, at 814, control circuitry 700 increments the value of N by one and processing returns to step 806.

At 816, control circuitry 700, using input circuitry 704, receives an input command. The input command may be a command to pause playback of the content, or a command to repeat a portion of the content. For example, input circuitry 704 may include a microphone for receiving a voice command, an infrared receiver for receiving a command from a remote control, a WiFi or Bluetooth module for receiving commands from a device such as a tablet or smartphone, or any other suitable circuitry for receiving input commands.

At 818, control circuitry 700, using video output circuitry 718, generates for display a plurality of icons (e.g., 112 a-112 d), each icon representing a subject associated with the retrieved signatures. At 820, control circuitry 700, using input circuitry 704, receives a selection of an icon. In response to receiving the selection, control circuitry 700 retrieves the timestamp of the signature associated with the selected icon. At 822, control circuitry 700, using media playback circuitry 706, retrieves the portion of content 102 corresponding to the timestamp of the signature and plays back the portion of the content using audio output circuitry 716 and video output circuitry 718. If multiple audio signatures coincide, control circuitry 700 may, using audio processing circuitry 710, isolate audio data from the subject of an audio signature as described below in connection with FIG. 14 .

The actions or descriptions of FIG. 8 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 8 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 900 for assigning a subject signature to an audio signature or action signature in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 900 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 900 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment disclosed herein.

At 902, control circuitry 700 identifies, during playback of content 102, at least one subject signature. For example, control circuitry 700, using video processing circuitry 712, analyzes at least one video frame of content 102. Using edge detection, facial detection, or any other suitable image processing or video processing techniques, video processing circuitry 712 identifies a subject signature of at least one subject displayed in the video frame. Control circuitry 700 stores, in storage 702, a set of parameters corresponding to the visual characteristics of each displayed subject.

At 904, control circuitry 700 initializes a counter variable N with a value of 0. For each identified subject signature, control circuitry 700 determines, at 906, whether a previously identified subject is the subject of the current signature. For example, control circuitry 700 compares the parameters of previous subject signatures to those of the current subject signature. If the parameters of the current subject signature do not match those of any of the previous subject signatures or if no subject currently displayed matches a previously identified subject, then, at 908, control circuitry 700 assigns a new identifier to the subject signature. If the parameters of the current subject signature do match those of a previous subject signature or if a subject currently displayed matches a previously identified subject, then control circuitry 700 determines that the subject of the current signature is the same as the subject of the previous signature having matching parameters and, at 910, assigns the subject identifier of the previous signature to the current signature. Control circuitry 700 then stored the subject identifier and a start time corresponding to the subject signature in storage 702.

At 912, control circuitry 700 determines whether any audio signature or action signature has the same timestamp as the current subject signature. If no audio signature or action signature has the same timestamp as the current subject signature, then processing proceeds to step 916. If an audio signature or action signature has the same timestamp as the current subject signature, then, at 914, control circuitry 700 assigns the current subject signature to the audio signature or action signature having the same timestamp. After assigning the current subject signature to the audio signature or action signature having the same timestamp, at 916, control circuitry 700 determines whether all identified signatures have yet been processed by comparing the value of N to the number of signatures identified. If there are more signatures to process then, at 916, control circuitry 700 increments the value of N by one and processing returns to step 906.

The action or descriptions of FIG. 9 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in related to FIG. 9 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 1000 for playing back a portion of audio in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 1000 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 1000 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 1002, control circuitry 700 retrieves an identifier of the subject represented by an icon. For example, when generating an icon for display, control circuitry 700 may include metadata for the icon including the subject identifier. In another example, control circuitry 700 generates a link or other computer code that includes a reference or pointer to the source identifier.

At 1004, control circuitry 700 accesses a database or other data structure in storage 702 in which signatures are stored in association with identifiers of subjects. At 1006, control circuitry 700 retrieves, from the database or data structure, a timestamp of a signature associated with the retrieved subject identifier. At 1008, control circuitry 700, using media playback circuitry 706, plays back the portion of the audio of content 102 beginning at the retrieved timestamp.

The actions or descriptions of FIG. 10 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 10 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 1100 for capturing an image of an audio source from video data in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 1100 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 1100 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 1102, control circuitry 700, using video processing circuitry 712, processes at least one frame of video data of content 102 corresponding to a signature and, at 1104, identifies a subject displayed in the at least one frame. For example, video processing circuitry 712 may use edge detection, facial recognition, object recognition, or any other suitable video processing or image processing technique to identify objects or characters displayed in the frame. If more than one frame is processed, video processing circuitry 712 may compare the frames to determine if, for example, the mouth of a character is moving during playback of the signature.

At 1106, video processing circuitry 712 captures a portion of the video frame in which the identified subject is displayed. Video processing circuitry 712 may capture image data from the frame and store the image in storage 702 in association with the signature. Alternatively, video processing circuitry 712 may capture coordinates bounding an area of the frame in which the identified source is displayed and store in storage 702 the coordinates, as well as an identifier of the frame, in association with the signature.

It is contemplated that the actions or descriptions of FIG. 11 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 11 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 1200 for identifying audio signatures in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 1200 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 1200 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 1202, control circuitry 700, using audio processing circuitry 710, begins analyzing audio data of content 102 at a first timestamp. At 1204, control circuitry 700 initializes a variable T_(first) and sets as its value the first timestamp. At 1206, audio processing circuitry 710 identifies audio characteristics of the audio data, which are unique to a first source. For example, audio processing circuitry 710 may use frequency analysis, rhythm analysis, harmonics, tempo, or any other audio characteristics to uniquely identify audio as being from a particular source. At 1208, audio processing circuitry 710 continues analyzing the audio data.

At 1210, control circuitry 700 initializes a variable T_(current) and sets its value as the timestamp corresponding to the audio data currently being analyzed. At 1212, audio processing circuitry 710 determines whether the audio characteristics at T_(current) are different from the audio characteristics at T_(first). For example, audio processing circuitry 710 may compare a set of audio characteristics at T_(current) with those identified at T_(first) to identify whether the value of any characteristic has changed by at least a threshold amount, such as five percent. If no change is detected, processing returns to 1208, at which audio processing circuitry 710 continues analyzing the audio data.

If the audio characteristics at T_(current) are determined to be different from the audio characteristics at T_(first), then, at 1214, audio processing circuitry 710 identifies as an audio signature the portion of audio data from T_(first) to T_(current). Audio processing circuitry 710 stores the audio signature in storage 702 along with at least T_(first). At 1216, control circuitry 700 sets the value of T_(first) to the value of T_(current), and processing returns to 1208.

It is contemplated that the actions or descriptions of FIG. 12 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 12 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 1300 for assigning audio signatures to a subject in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 900 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 900 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 1302, control circuitry 700, using video processing circuitry 712, processes at least one video frame from a portion of content 102 between T_(first) and T_(current). At 1304, video processing circuitry 712 determines whether a subject is displayed in the at least one frame. Video processing circuitry 712 may use edge detection, facial recognition, object recognition, or any other suitable video processing or image processing technique.

If a subject displayed is displayed in the at least one frame, then, at 1306, control circuitry 700 determines whether the displayed subject is the source of an audio signature. For example, control circuitry 700 may compare, using audio processing circuitry 710 and video processing circuitry 712, the audio signature with the at least one frame of video data. Audio processing circuitry 710 may identify a type of audio signature based on audio characteristics. For example, audio processing circuitry 710 may identify a low frequency speech pattern as a male voice. Control circuitry 700 may then use video processing circuitry 712 to identify a male figure in the at least one video frame. Video processing circuitry 412 may identify a character whose mouth is moving during the audio signature.

If the displayed subject is the source of the audio signature, then, at 1308, control circuitry 700 assigns the audio signature to the displayed source. For example, control circuitry 700 may update the database or data structure in storage 702 to include an identifier of the subject in association with the audio signature.

If no subject is displayed in the at least one frame, or if a displayed subject is not the source of the audio signature, then, at 1310, control circuitry 700 assigns the audio signature to another subject. Control circuitry 700 may, using audio processing circuitry 710, compare the audio characteristics of the audio signature with other audio signatures having known subjects. If a match is detected, control circuitry 700 may assign as a subject of the audio signature the subject of the audio signature having matching audio characteristics. If no matches are detected, control circuitry 700 may assign a new or temporary subject identifier to the audio signature.

It is contemplated that the actions or descriptions of FIG. 13 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 13 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 1400 for playing back one of a plurality of portions of audio in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 1400 may be implemented on control circuitry 400. In addition, one or more actions of process 1400 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 1402, control circuitry 700 determines whether more than one audio signature has an end time within a threshold time of a current playback timestamp. For example, in a portion of content 102 in which several characters have a conversation, several audio signatures may end within thirty seconds of the current playback position and will be returned in response to a query for audio signatures present within the threshold period.

At 1404, control circuitry 700 determines whether any of the audio signatures ending within the threshold period temporally overlap. For example, two characters may speak simultaneously, resulting in at least one audio signature ending at the same time as, or between the start time and end time of, another audio signature. If no audio signatures temporally overlap, then, at 1406, control circuitry 700 plays back a portion of audio data of content 102 corresponding to the most recent audio signature. However, if any audio signatures temporally overlap, then, at 1408, control circuitry 700, using audio processing circuitry 710, isolates the audio data corresponding to each audio signature. Audio processing circuitry 710 may use audio characteristics of each audio signature to isolate frequencies and harmonics unique to each signature. Audio processing circuitry 710 may suppress frequencies associated with background noise. Audio processing circuitry 710 may extract or copy audio data representing each individual audio signature and generate individual audio samples corresponding to each audio signature.

At 1410, control circuitry 700, using video output circuitry 718, generates for display a plurality of icons, each icon representing a subject corresponding to one of the audio signatures. At 1412, control circuitry 700, using input circuitry 704, receives a selection of an icon and, at 1414, plays back, using media playback circuitry 706, a portion of at least the audio of content 102 corresponding to the audio signature associated with the selected icon. This may be an extracted audio sample as described above.

It is contemplated that the actions or descriptions of FIG. 14 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 14 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 1500 for identifying action signatures in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 1500 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 1500 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 1502, control circuitry 700, using video processing circuitry 712, begins analyzing video data of content 102 at a first timestamp. At 1504, control circuitry 700 initializes a variable T_(first) and sets as its value the first timestamp. At 1506, video processing circuitry 712 determines whether a subject displayed in the video data of content 102 displays a threshold level of motion. For example, video processing circuitry 712 may compare the position of each subject in a frame at the first timestamp with that of a previous frame to determine a distance traveled between the two frames. If no subject displays a threshold level of motion, processing returns to step 1502.

If a subject does display a threshold level of motion, then, at 1508, video processing circuitry 712 continues analyzing the video data. At 1510, control circuitry 700 initializes a variable T_(current) and sets its value as the timestamp corresponding to the video data currently being analyzed. At 1512, video processing circuitry 712 determines whether the motion of the subject at T_(current) is still at or above the threshold level of motion. If so, processing returns to 1508, at which video processing circuitry 712 continues analyzing the video data.

If the motion of the subject at T_(current) is determined to be below the threshold level of motion, then, at 1514, video processing circuitry 712 identifies as an action signature the portion of video data from T_(first) to T_(current). Video processing circuitry 712 stores the action signature in storage 702 along with at least T_(first). At 1516, control circuitry 700 sets the value of T_(first) to the value of T_(current), and processing returns to 1506.

It is contemplated that the actions or descriptions of FIG. 15 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 15 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 1600 for identifying a subject displayed in content in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 1600 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 1600 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 1602, control circuitry 700, using video processing circuitry 712, detects a face in a frame of the video of content 102. Video processing circuitry 712 may use any suitable video processing or image processing technique to identify faces displayed in video data of content 102. Video processing circuitry 712 may identify a set of image parameters which uniquely identify the detected face, such as inter-pupil distance (i.e., the distance between the left and right pupils of the face's eyes), nose size or position, ear size or position, hair color, eye color, overall face shape, etc. Video processing circuitry 712 may also employ a Haar algorithm or local binary patterns algorithm to identify faces. At 1604, video processing circuitry 712 assigns an identifier to the detected face. At 1606, video processing circuitry 712 stores, in storage 702, the set of parameters corresponding to the face in association with the assigned identifier.

It is contemplated that the actions or descriptions of FIG. 16 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 16 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 1700 for detecting a threshold level of motion in accordance with some embodiment of the disclosure. Process 1700 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 1700 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 1702, control circuitry 700, using video processing circuitry 712, analyzes a first video frame of content 102. Video processing circuitry identifies at least one subject displayed in the first video frame using methods described above in connection with FIG. 9 . At 1704, video processing circuitry 712 identifies a position of a subject in the first video frame. For example, video processing circuitry 712 identifies x and y coordinates of a corner of the subject. If the subject is of an irregular shape, such as a character's face, video processing circuitry 712 may first define a bounding box having a top-left corner corresponding to a point directly to the left of the top-most pixel of the subject and directly above the left-most pixel of the subject, and a bottom-right corner corresponding to a point directly to the right of the bottom-most pixel of the subject and directly below the right-most pixel of the subject. Video processing circuitry 712 may then identify a position of the bounding box.

At 1706, video processing circuitry 712 analyzes the next frame of video of content 102 and, at 1708, identifies the position of the subject in the next frame of video using the methods described above. At 1710, video processing circuitry 712 determines whether the subject has moved a threshold distance between the two frames analyzed. For example, video processing circuitry 712 may calculate the difference between the position of the object or of the bounding box in each of the frames and determine whether the object moved more than a threshold number of pixels. Video processing circuitry 712 may also account for motion toward or away from the viewer by comparing the apparent size of the object between the two frames and determining whether the size has increased or decreased by a threshold amount. Video processing circuitry 712 may use both of these calculations to determine three-dimensional motion of the subject. Video processing circuitry 712 may calculate a vector in a three-dimensional space along which the subject has moved and determine the distance traveled along the vector. If the subject has moved a threshold distance, then, at 1712, video processing circuitry 712 identifies that a threshold level of motion has been detected.

It is contemplated that the actions or descriptions of FIG. 17 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 17 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 1800 for repeating a portion of content in slow motion or in a loop in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 1800 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 1800 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 1802, control circuitry 700 determines whether the portion of the content 102 corresponding to a selected action signature is shorter than a maximum threshold, such as thirty seconds. If the portion of the content 102 is shorter than the maximum threshold, then, at 1804, control circuitry 700 determines whether the portion of the content 102 is also shorter than a minimum threshold, such as five seconds. If the portion of the content 102 corresponding to the selected action signature is shorter than the minimum threshold, then, at 1806, control circuitry 700, using media playback circuitry 706, repeats the portion of the content 102 in slow motion. If the length of the portion of the content 102 corresponding to the selected action signature is between the minimum threshold and the maximum threshold, then, at 1808, control circuitry 700, using media playback circuitry 706, repeats the portion of the content 102 in a loop. Media playback circuitry 706 may continue looping the portion of content 102 until another input command is received. Alternatively or additionally, media playback circuitry 706 may continue looping the portion of content 102 for a predetermined number of loops (e.g., five loops) or a predetermined amount of time (e.g., thirty seconds).

It is contemplated that the actions or descriptions of FIG. 18 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 18 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 19 shows an exemplary display 1900 and selection of an icon, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Display 1900 includes icons 1902 a, 1902 b, and 1902 c. Selection of an icon, for example icon 1902 a, may be received as a tap input 1904. The duration of tap input 1904 may be used to determine the type of search to be performed in response to tap input 1904. For example, in response to a short tap, or a tap having a duration that is less than a threshold duration, such as 0.5 seconds, a search is performed for content containing the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon. In response to a longer tap having a duration that meets or exceeds the threshold duration (i.e., a tap lasting at last 0.5 seconds), the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon is identified and a search is performed for content published by the identified subject. For example, a unique identifier such as an account name, account number, or other unique identifier of the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon is retrieved. The identifier may be retrieved from metadata of the content or may be determined by comparing the signature to other signatures with known subjects. A search is then performed using the unique identifier as a search parameter for the user or account from which content has been published.

FIG. 20 shows an exemplary display 2000 and selection of an icon using a swipe gesture, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Display 2000 includes icons 2002 a, 2002 b, and 2002 c. Selection of an icon, for example icon 2002 a, may be received as a swipe gesture 2004. A direction may be associated with swipe gesture 2004. For example, as shown in FIG. 20 , swipe gesture 2004 proceeds from left to right. In response to a swipe gesture proceeding from left to right, a particular type of search may be performed, while other types of searches may be performed in response to swipe gestures that proceed in other directions. Examples of types of searches performed in response to such swipe gestures include, but are not limited to, searches for content containing the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon, searches for content containing signatures that are similar to the signature represented by the selected icon, and searches for content published by the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon.

FIG. 21 shows an exemplary display 2100 and selection of multiple icons using a swipe gesture, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Display 2100 includes icons 2102 a, 2102 b, and 2102 c. Selection of multiple icons may be received as a swipe gesture 2104 which passes through more than one icon. For example, as shown in FIG. 21 , swipe gesture 2104 passes through icon 2102 a and icon 2102 b. In response to such a swipe gesture, a search is performed for content containing both the subject of the signature represented by icon 2102 a and the subject of the signature represented by icon 2102 b.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 2200 for performing a search for content related to the subject of a signature, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 2200 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 2200 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 2202, control circuitry 700, using audio processing circuitry 710 and/or video processing circuitry 712, identifies, during playback of content 102, a plurality of signatures. This may be accomplished using methods described above in connection with FIG. 12 . Audio processing circuitry 710 and/or video processing circuitry 712 may identify one signature in content 102 at a time or may identify multiple signatures simultaneously.

At 2204, control circuitry 700 initializes a counter variable N with a value of 0. For each identified signature, control circuitry 700 determines, at 2206, whether a previously identified subject is the subject of the current signature. For example, control circuitry 700 compares the audio characteristics of previous audio signatures to those of the current audio signature. As another example, control circuitry 700 compares objects and characters displayed in a frame of video to parameters of previously identified subjects. If the audio characteristics of the current audio signature do not match those of any of the previous audio signatures, or if no object or character currently displayed matches a previously identified subject, then, at 2208, control circuitry 700 assigns a new identifier as the subject of the signature. If the audio characteristics of the current audio signature do match those of a previous audio signature or if an object or character currently displayed matches a previously identified subject, then control circuitry 700 determines that the subject of the current signature is the same as the subject of the previous signature having matching audio characteristics or image parameters and, at 2210, assigns the subject identifier of the previous signature to the current signature. Control circuitry 700 then stores the identifier of the current signature and a start time corresponding to the current signature in storage 702. At 2212, control circuitry 700 determines whether all identified signatures have yet been processed by comparing the value of N to the number of signatures identified. If there are more signatures to process, then, at 2214, control circuitry 700 increments the value of N by one and processing returns to step 2206.

At 2216, control circuitry 700, using input circuitry 704, receives an input command. The input command may be a command to pause playback of the content, or a command to repeat a portion of the content. For example, input circuitry 704 may include a microphone for receiving a voice command, an infrared receiver for receiving a command from a remote control, a WiFi or Bluetooth module for receiving commands from a device such as a tablet or smartphone, or any other suitable circuitry for receiving input commands.

At 2218, control circuitry 700, using video output circuitry 718, generates for display a plurality of icons (e.g., 112 a-112 d), each icon representing a subject associated with the retrieved signatures. At 2220, control circuitry 700, using input circuitry 704, receives a selection of an icon. In response to receiving the selection, at 2222, control circuitry 700 performs a search for content related to the signature represented by the selected icon. For example, control circuitry 700 identifies a subject of the signature from metadata of the content item or by comparing the signature with other signatures known to be related to particular subjects. Once identified, control circuitry 700 transmits a query to a content database. The query includes as a search parameter a unique identifier of the identified subject.

It is contemplated that the actions or descriptions of FIG. 22 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 22 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 2300 for determining a type of search to perform based on a swipe gesture, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 2300 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 2300 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 2302, control circuitry 700, using input circuitry 704, detects a swipe input. For example, input circuitry 704 detects the capacitance or electrical resistance of a user's skin on a touchscreen interface at a plurality of adjacent or nearly adjacent points within a short period of time, the set of points indicting a path or track of the swipe gesture. At 2304, control circuitry 700, using input circuitry 704, determines a direction of the swipe input. For example, input circuitry 704 may compare coordinates of each point to determine movement along two different axes such as horizontal movement and vertical movement. Input circuitry 704 may then determine, based on the overall movement, and on the degree of change in a particular axis between each point, a direction of the swipe gesture.

At 2306, control circuitry 700 determines whether the direction of the swipe gesture is a first direction and, if so, then, at 2308, control circuitry 700 performs a search for content containing the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon. If not, then, at 2310, control circuitry 700 determines whether the direction of the swipe gesture is a second direction. If so, then, at 2312, control circuitry 700 performs a search for content having a signature similar to the signature represented by the selected icon. If not, then, at 2314, control circuitry determines whether the direction of the swipe gesture is a third direction. If so, then, at 2316, control circuitry 700 identifies the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon as described above in relation to FIG. 22 , and, at 2318, performs a search for content published by the identified subject.

It is contemplated that the actions or descriptions of FIG. 23 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 23 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 24 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 2400 for performing a search for content related to subjects of more than one signature, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 2400 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 2400 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 2402, control circuitry 700, using input circuitry 704, detects a swipe input. As described above in related to FIG. 23 , input circuitry 704 may detect the capacitance or electrical resistance of a user's skin on a touchscreen interface at a plurality of adjacent or nearly adjacent points within a short period of time, the set of points indicting a path or track of the swipe gesture. Each point has a corresponding set of coordinates describing its location in two dimensions on the touchscreen interface relative to a known position, such as a corner, whose coordinates are (0,0). At 2404, control circuitry 700 initializes data sets {P}, {K}, and {X}, as well as variables N and T.

Data set {P} is a set of coordinates describing the track of the swipe input. For example, a swipe input from left to right across the top of a touchscreen interface having a width of one hundred pixels and whose top-left corner has coordinates (0,0) results in a data set {P} containing coordinates (0,0), (1,0), (2,1), (3,0), and so on until the point at which the swipe gesture ends. Due to natural variations in a user's movements, some coordinates, such as (2,1), above, may not be perfectly in line with other coordinates in data set {P}. Control circuitry 700 may determine the overall track of a swipe gesture by factoring out minor fluctuations in the coordinates representing movement along one axis.

Data set {K} contains a set of coordinates describing the position of each icon displayed on the touchscreen interface. Data set {K} may include subsets for each icon. Alternatively, each set of coordinates may include a third term, in addition to the terms describing positions along each of two axes, identifying a particular icon. Data set {K} may include all coordinates within the bounds of each icon or may include coordinates describing the perimeter or circumference of each icon from which control circuitry 700 may determine all coordinates occupied by each icon.

Data set {X} is the set of icons through which the swipe input passes. Control circuitry 700 determines which icons intersect the track of the swipe input described by data set {P}, as described below. Control circuitry 700 then adds identifiers of each icon through which the swipe input passes to data set {X}.

Variable N is a counter variable. Control circuitry 700 initially sets the value of N to zero. Control circuitry 700 sets the value of variable T to the total number of coordinate sets contained in data set {P}.

At 2406, control circuitry 700 determines whether the N^(th) coordinate set of data set {P} is in data set {K}. For example, control circuitry 700 may compare the N^(th) coordinate set of data set {P} to each coordinate set of data set {K} to determine if there is a match. If so, then, at 2408, control circuitry 700 determines whether the icon represented by the N^(th) coordinate set is contained in data set {X}. For example, if control circuitry 700 determines that the N^(th) coordinate set of data set {P} matches a coordinate set of data set {K}, control circuitry 700 retrieves an identifier of the icon from data set {K} and compares the identifier to data set {X}. If data set {X} does not already contain the identifier of the icon, then, at 2410, the identifier of the icon represented by the N^(th) coordinate set is added to data set {X}.

After adding the identifier of the icon to data set {X}, or if the N^(th) coordinate set is not found in data set {K}, or if the identifier of the icon represented by the N^(th) coordinate set is already contained in data set {X}, at 2412, control circuitry 700 determines whether N is equal to T. If not, then, at 2414, control circuitry 700 increments the value of N by one, and processing returns to step 2406.

If N is equal to T, meaning that all coordinate sets of data set {P} have been compared with data set {K}, then, at 2416, control circuitry 700 retrieves a plurality of search results related to all signatures represented by each icon identified in data set {X}. For example, control circuitry 700 may modify the search for content to include subjects of all signatures represented by each icon identified in data set {X}. Alternatively, control circuitry 700 may filter a set of search results retrieved for content related to the subject of a first signature for content also related to the subjects of other signatures represented by other icons identified in data set {X}.

It is contemplated that the actions or descriptions of FIG. 24 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 24 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 25 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 2500 for determining a type of search to perform based on the duration of a tap input, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 2500 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 2500 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 2502, control circuitry 700, using input circuitry 704, detects a tap input as the selection of an icon. For example, input circuitry 704 detects capacitance or electrical resistance of a user's skin on a touchscreen interface at a single point or a small number of adjacent points simultaneously. At 2504, control circuitry 700 sets a variable T to the duration of the tap. For example, input circuitry 704 may, upon detecting the tap input, start a timer measuring time in increments of one millisecond and stop the timer when the tap input is no longer detected. The amount of time measured by the timer is then stored as the value of T.

At 2506, control circuitry 700 determines whether T is below a threshold duration. For example, the threshold duration may be 500 milliseconds. Control circuitry 700 may subtract the value of T from the threshold duration. If necessary, control circuitry 700 may convert the value of T to a timescale in which the threshold duration is expressed. For example, the timer, and thus the value of T, may be expressed in milliseconds while the threshold duration may be expressed in seconds. If the difference of the threshold duration and the value of T is positive, meaning that T is below the threshold duration, then, at 2508, control circuitry 700 performs a search for content containing the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon. If the difference of the threshold duration and the value of T is zero or below, meaning that T meets or exceeds the threshold duration, then, at 2510, control circuitry 700 identifies the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon and, at 2512, performs a search for content published by the identified subject.

Is it contemplated that the actions or descriptions of FIG. 25 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 25 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

FIG. 26 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 2600 for determining a type of search to perform based on the intensity of a tap input, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process 2600 may be implemented on control circuitry 700. In addition, one or more actions of process 2600 may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiment described herein.

At 2602, control circuitry 700, using input circuitry 704, detects a tap input as the selection of an icon. For example, input circuitry 704 detects capacitance or electrical resistance of a user's skin on, or the pressure of a user's contact with, a touchscreen interface at a single point or a small number of adjacent points simultaneously. At 2604, control circuitry 700 sets a variable P to the intensity of the tap. For example, input circuitry 704 may, upon detecting the tap input, measure an amount of deflection in the surface of the touchscreen interface, or an amount of electrical current allowed to flow between two layers of the touchscreen interface. Control circuitry 700 may convert the measured deflection or flow of electrical current to a scaled value representing the intensity of the tap, which is stored as the value of P.

At 2606, control circuitry 700 determines whether P is below a threshold intensity. For example, the threshold intensity may be five on a scale of zero to ten. Control circuitry 700 may subtract the value of P from the threshold intensity. If the difference of the threshold intensity and the value of P is positive, meaning that P is below the threshold intensity, then, at 2608, control circuitry 700 performs a search for content containing the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon. If the difference of the threshold intensity and the value of P is zero or below, meaning that P meets or exceeds the threshold intensity, then, at 2610, control circuitry 700 identifies the subject of the signature represented by the selected icon and, at 2612, performs a search for content published by the identified subject.

It is contemplated that the actions or descriptions of FIG. 26 may be used with any other embodiment of this disclosure. In addition, the actions and descriptions described in relation to FIG. 26 may be done in suitable alternative orders or in parallel to further the purposes of this disclosure.

The processes described above are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. One skilled in the art would appreciate that the steps of the processes discussed herein may be omitted, modified, combined, and/or rearranged, and any additional steps may be performed without departing from the scope of the invention. More generally, the above disclosure is meant to be exemplary and not limiting. Only the claims that follow are meant to set bounds as to what the present invention includes. Furthermore, it should be noted that the features and limitations described in any one embodiment may be applied to any other embodiment herein, and flowcharts or examples relating to one embodiment may be combined with any other embodiment in a suitable manner, done in different orders, or done in parallel. In addition, the systems and methods described herein may be performed in real time. It should also be noted that the systems and/or methods described above may be applied to, or used in accordance with, other systems and/or methods. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: identifying a first subject and a second subject within a media content item; determining a first plurality of parameters related to the first identified subject and a second plurality of parameters related to the second identified subject, wherein at least one of the first plurality of parameters or the second plurality of parameters is determined based on video processing of objects and characters or actors; storing the first plurality of parameters as a first subject signature for the first identified subject and the second plurality of parameters as a second subject signature for the second identified subject; generating for display a first icon representing the first subject signature and a second icon representing the second subject signature; receiving a selection of the first icon and the second icon, wherein the selection of the first icon and the second icon comprises a swipe gesture on a user interface passing through the first icon and the second icon; and performing a search for content related to the first subject signature that is represented by the first selected icon and the second subject signature that is represented by the second selected icon.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first subject or the second subject is an actor or character of the media content item.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first plurality of parameters or the second plurality of parameters comprises audio signatures and action signatures.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a touchscreen interface.
 5. The method of claim 1, comprising identifying a direction of the swipe gesture, wherein: the direction of the swipe gesture is one of a plurality of directions; and a type of the search for content related to the subject signature is based on the direction of the swipe.
 6. The method of claim 5, comprising: in response to identifying a direction of the plurality of directions of the swipe gesture, performing a search for content containing a respective subject, of at least one of the first plurality of subjects or the second plurality of subjects that is associated with at least one of the first subject signature represented by the first selected icon or the second subject signature represented by the second selected icon.
 7. The method of claim 1, comprising: receiving a tap gesture of at least one of the first icon or the second icon.
 8. The method of claim 7, comprising: determining a duration of the tap gesture; in response to determining that the duration of the tap gesture is below a threshold duration, performing a search for content containing at least one of the first subject of the first subject signature represented by the first selected icon or the second subject of the second subject signature represented by the second selected icon; and in response to determining that the duration of the tap gesture meets or exceeds the threshold duration: identifying the at least one of the first subject of the first subject signature represented by the first selected icon or the second subject of the second subject signature represented by the second selected icon; and performing a search for content published by the at least one of the first identified subject or the second identified subject.
 9. The method of claim 7, comprising: determining an intensity of the tap gesture; in response to determining that the intensity of the tap gesture is below a threshold intensity, performing a search for content containing at least one of the first subject of the first subject signature represented by the first selected icon or the second subject of the second subject signature represented by the second selected icon; and in response to determining that the intensity of the tap gesture meets or exceeds the threshold intensity: identifying the at least one of the first subject of the first subject signature represented by the first selected icon or the second subject of the second subject signature represented by the second selected icon; and performing a search for content published by the at least one of the first identified subject or the second identified subject.
 10. A system comprising: circuitry configured to: identify a first subject and a second subject within a media content item; determine a first plurality of parameters related to the first identified subject and a second plurality of parameters related to the second identified subject, wherein at least one of the first plurality of parameters or the second plurality of parameters is determined based on video processing of objects and characters or actors; store the first plurality of parameters as a first subject signature for the first identified subject and the second plurality of parameters as a second subject signature for the second identified subject; generate for display a first icon representing the first subject signature and a second icon representing the second subject signature; receive a selection of the first icon and the second icon, wherein the selection of the first icon and the second icon comprises a swipe gesture on a user interface passing through the first icon and the second icon; and perform a search for content related to the first subject signature that is represented by the first selected icon and the second subject signature that is represented by the second selected icon.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first subject or the second subject is an actor or character of the media content item.
 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one of the first plurality of parameters or the second plurality of parameters comprises audio signatures and action signatures.
 13. The system of claim 10, wherein the user interface comprises a touchscreen interface.
 14. The system of claim 10, wherein the circuitry is configured to: identify a direction of the swipe gesture, wherein: the direction of the swipe gesture is one of a plurality of directions; and a type of the search for content related to the subject signature is based on the direction of the swipe.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the circuitry is configured to: in response to identifying a direction of the plurality of directions of the swipe gesture, perform a search for content containing a respective subject, of at least one of the first plurality of subjects or the second plurality of subjects that is associated with at least one of the first subject signature represented by the first selected icon or the second subject signature represented by the second selected icon.
 16. The system of claim 10, wherein the circuitry is configured to: receive a tap gesture of at least one of the first icon or the second icon.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the circuitry is configured to: determine a duration of the tap gesture; in response to determining that the duration of the tap gesture is below a threshold duration, perform a search for content containing at least one of the first subject of the first subject signature represented by the first selected icon or the second subject of the second subject signature represented by the second selected icon; and in response to determining that the duration of the tap gesture meets or exceeds the threshold duration: identify the at least one of the first subject of the first subject signature represented by the first selected icon or the second subject of the second subject signature represented by the second selected icon; and perform a search for content published by the at least one of the first identified subject or the second identified subject.
 18. The system of claim 16, wherein the circuitry is configured to: determine an intensity of the tap gesture; in response to determining that the intensity of the tap gesture is below a threshold intensity, perform a search for content containing at least one of the first subject of the first subject signature represented by the first selected icon or the second subject of the second subject signature represented by the second selected icon; and in response to determining that the intensity of the tap gesture meets or exceeds the threshold intensity: identify the at least one of the first subject of the first subject signature represented by the first selected icon or the second subject of the second subject signature represented by the second selected icon; and perform a search for content published by the at least one of the first identified subject or the second identified subject. 